Travel Companions

I am a firm believer that you learn a lot about a person when you're traveling with them.  How flexible are they?  How do they interact with strangers?  What food do they enjoy?  In fact, it sealed the deal that John was the man for me when we made our first road trip from Florida to Boston together.  Anyone that can be trapped in a car with me for 20 hours is a keeper! (just teasing... I'm actually a blast on road trips)  

Anyway, whenever you're traveling with a large group of people, there is bound to be some conflict.  It's been my expereince that there is rarely a moment when EVERYONE is happy.  You can imagine my hesitation when I set off on a trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama with my Coastal Management course: twenty individuals of various ages, pretty much complete strangers to one another, about to embark on an academic trek to a small chain of islands.

It started off a bit awkward... even after 5 weeks of class together, we still didn't know everyone's name.  All it took though was the first cracking open of a beer at 10am once we landed in Panama City.  After that, it was balls to the wall.

NEVER have I been with a group this large and this diverse and had such a crazy, drama-free adventure!  We successfully balanced our daily academic progress and late night partying as we gave rise to the most epic trip ever.  Needless to say, I had a spectacular time getting to know my classmates and I'll never underestimate new travel companions again.  

Here are a couple of shots from our exploration

Panama City, Panama





Bocas del Toro



Red Frog Beach





Zapatilla Cay



Drive through Costa Rica



Costa Rican street art

Panama Canal

Irrational Attachment

I think I have the hoarder gene.  I wouldn't necessarily call myself a materialistic person but I have a severe problem of giving up trinkets from the past.  Do you have a box or bag of worthless crap from elementary school and beyond?  Stuff that should have been thrown away the second you got out of college and moved into your own place?  Is your junk drawer overflowing to the point where a second junk drawer is considered?  What about a hall closet that keeps collecting more and more mess?  Well, this person is me.

I came to the realization that this might be a problem the other day when I lost my water bottle.  Yes, the very water bottle that inspired me to name our adventure blog.  I laid in bed, mentally retracing my steps, and a tear came out... I kid you not.  As pathetic as it sounds, I just couldn't bear to think of this water bottle, a companion of mine for the past 5 years, sitting alone... getting trashed by some stranger on the streets.  My water bottle has been with me through thick and thin and has always pulled me out of any obstacle... its the best adventure comrade a person could find.

I knew I was being ridiculous but I couldn't help it.  Regardless of the ungodly time (1am) I jumped in the truck, returned to the site where I remembered having it last, and scoured the field.  Seeing the blue plastic glow in the moonlight was a breath of fresh air.  I had found my water bottle!!

You see, its not the actual container that triggers such strong emotions (although, camelbak does make pretty incredible water bottles).  It's the memories attached to the water bottle that keeps me loyal.  When I see it, my mind is flooded with thoughts of overcoming obstacles, laughing and crying, kissing and hugging, climbing mountains, diving deep oceans, soaring above tree tops... These are my happiest moments in life and my water bottle was by my side each step of the way.

Suffice to say, it's is a relief to have my trusty bottle buddy back.  Now I understand the despair that John went through when his bottle was run over by the neighbor (we'll save that story for another day).  Just stay hydrated and happiness will follow.

Love,
John-Kristen-Reef-Caya     

The best adventure of them all...

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!  

After four amazing years of living/laughing/loving, John and I have decided to take it to the next level.  We've always known that we'd spend the rest of our lives together but this promise made to one another is very exciting.

We'll keep you posted as things progress.  Right now though, the only thing on my mind is WEDDING WEDDING WEDDING!!